Little Girl Lost
by SassyShots
Summary: She's running. There's nothing new about that, right? Except this time Bella finds herself hiding in plain sight, lost among the crowds of Santa Carla. Gone are her clumsy ways, but it came at a price. When she crosses paths with the Lost Boys, she's left to consider the possibility that all she's endured was meant to bring her to this one moment in time, to a destiny of the soul.


**Author's Note:** Twilight/Lost Boys time! I personally love the crossover stories with Bella and the boys, can't get enough of them, and there really aren't that many. The lack of them spurred me on to this little jewel, so I hope you all enjoy it!

 **Story Information:**  
 _*Rating:_ Fiction M- language, adult themes/situations, violence/blood play/graphic descriptions (these are vampires, and the Lost Boys at that!), etc.  
 _*Pairing:_ Marko/Bella/Paul  
 _*Warning!:_ This story will have multiple AU/OOC areas. The main ones to concentrate on is the timeline change and vampiric qualities that are displayed.  Timeline Changes- for the Lost Boys verse, it will be set in modern times instead of the eighties like the movie. As for Twilight, it's been almost two years since the Cullen's departure. Vampire Traits- Cold Ones will still exist and hold all their normal characteristics. The boys though will have a mixture of their traditional traits/traits resembling TVD style vampires. I figured that would be more believable in modern times than just sticking with the eighties plot, plus it works out in favor for me! This story is also a poly-couple story, so if that's not your thing, here's your warning now!

Support and feedback is always welcomed and encouraged! Keep any story hating or flames to yourself though please, those aren't needed!

 _ **Disclaimer: In no way do I own or claim to own the characters/material from either the Twilight Series (movies/novels) or from Lost Boys (movie/novel/comics). Those are purely the work of their authors/writers, producers, directors, etc. I also do NOT own any copyrighted/trademarked material that may be cited in this story. I just like to play with characters and only claim my personal plot ideas!**_

* * *

 _"We be of one blood, thou and I...my kill shall be thy kill if ever thou art hungry."_

* * *

" _It's been over three months…I know you're hurt, the things that were said…Listen, c-can you please just call me? Please, Bells…Everyone is so, so sorry, but we can't fix this if you stay gone…you…you want to fix this, don't you? We're family Bella…Just, god please just call me. Love ya Bells."_

With a little more force than necessary, she threw her phone into the oversized beach bag sitting beside her.

Sucking in a shuddering breath that resembled the one her caller had taken before asking her to call home, Isabella Swan turned to face the Pacific Ocean once more. The sun's rays had slowly changed from a high heat beating down on her from above to a pleasant warmth that washed over her skin, heating the constant chill that had settled into her bones months before as it set on the western horizon. The grains of sand beneath her were both coarse and smooth, acting like a warming plate after soaking up the heat of the Friday afternoon. Bella bit down on her lip softly, watching the way the sun's light reflected against the ocean's wave, dancing and sparkling. It was a beautiful sight, a wonderful change from the consistent greenness that was Forks, Washington. But even the smallest thought of the place she had called home since moving there at seventeen brought the sting of unshed tears, and she laid back in the warm sand once more.

Eighty-four. One hundred and fifty-six. Six hundred and ninety-seven.

It was the number of days she had been running, the number of days since her whole world had been turned upside down again, and the number of days since _they_ had been gone. Since she'd been left, abandoned by both her supernatural boyfriend and those she had considered family, leaving her deep in the green woods.

She didn't care so much about that anymore, couldn't really give two shits about her pretentious ex-boyfriend and his controlling ways. It was the _family_ she missed, her rage slowly morphing into yearning for the brothers and sisters she had been so horrifically given and then denied. While those feelings of loss and longing for the handful she wanted to see again still twisted and pulled at her heart though, she had found a _new_ family. It had taken a few months and there had been plenty of rough patches, but the Pack and the Quileute Reservation had snatched her up, becoming one big rowdy family that she wouldn't have traded for anything. If going through those levels of pain and despair after the Cullen's left Forks were what brought Jacob and the Wolves into her life, then she would go through it over and over again.

It had all changed though, just as the year and a half mark of the Cullen's absence had passed.

Bella had noticed the faint signs, the little changes to her body that she couldn't explain. Her mahogany colored locks had grown in length, lightened a bit, and gained just a touch of auburn to them. Her complexion had smoothed, freckles she once had disappeared and toward the end of the transformation, a few days before she'd had to run, she noticed her skin seemed to put off a barely visible glow.

To humans, at least.

Supernatural beings? They'd caught on quickly.

Denying secret pregnancies and putting up with the guys each taking their time sniffing over her person had become something of the norm, no matter how many times she swore up and down that she was _not_ engaged in a clandestine relationship with Paul Lahote and his delicious smirk.

Her senses changed, morphed, heightened to an extent. Quil's constant need to sneak up behind her and make her scream for dear life was thwarted by her ability to pick up on what once had been completely silent, prowling footsteps once before.

It was her eyes that had done her in though.

The deep brown remained through the changes she'd taken notice of for the greater amount of the time, but now were accented with a thin ring of color, outlining her chocolate colored irises. It swirled and meshed together, creating a burgundy hue that was as spine-chilling as it was enchanting.

Bella knew then, exactly what was to blame for the dull red color that was slowly but steadily becoming more pronounced.

 _Venom_.

That and the mini-freezer she had taken great care to hide at the back of their garage, a place to store what she considered contraband, given the fact that her family consisted of a best friend, plenty of friends she called brothers or sisters, and two step-siblings who split from their skins and took the forms of massive Spirit Warrior Wolves to protect their lands from the likes of fanged fiends.

Packaged blood.

 _Human_ , packaged blood.

Kept locked, sealed, and cooled with dry ice to hide the scent with a more chemically enhanced one that would be expected in a garage; the tiny refrigerator stocked with blood bags was a new necessity in life that she had gotten used to much more easily than she cared to admit. It had started out innocently enough, her first experiment with the substance.

After weeks of dropping weight, despite the mounds of food both Emily Young and the Pack shoveled onto her plate, Charlie had taken a day from work down to see that she made it to the Reservation's clinic with the purpose of seeing Sue Clearwater, her soon-to-be stepmother and a nurse. Her knee had bounced spastically during the wait time before she had been called to an examination room, the gentle smile and soft voice of Sue doing her best to calm her frazzled nerves as she felt for her pulse and pressed her fingers into different spots, questioning Bella's level of comfort.

It had been going so well and _that's_ what should have been her first clue something would go terribly wrong.

The cut had been tiny, minuscule really.

A slip of the hand on Sue's part as she had been preparing supplies to take a simple blood test, and the bright red liquid had welled up in the palm of her hand, contrasting sharply with her russet skin. A quiet gasp of pain had slipped through her lips, attracting the younger girl's attention. Bella had glanced up at Sue in curiosity before taking notice of the small pool of blood in her cupped palm. She had expected to feel the bile creep up in her stomach, the usual bought of nausea to do her in before she dropped back on the examination table and squeezed her eyes shut while breathing through her mouth in an effort to remain conscious as opposed to fainting.

Because of course the girl who had once dated a freaking _vampire_ would black out at the sight and smell of the metallic liquid.

What happened instead, was much worse.

Bella's mouth watered. She had swallowed convulsively, both against the onslaught of her senses and in a pitiful attempt to push back the desire raging within.

Her tongue darted out, sliding over her bottom lip as she stared, unblinking.

She had been so thirsty…so _hungry_ …for the first time in weeks.

With widened eyes and a tremor of fear working through her body, Sue had gently began to pull her hand backward and step away, only to be met with the harsh grip of Bella's nimble fingers. They wrapped around her wrist and tightened their hold, sealing like a vise as the skin underneath them paled and Bella's own knuckles began to whiten. Her eyes fluttered closed as she pulled in a deep breath, an almost purr-like sound breaking the silence that had settled between the Tribal Elder and herself as she dipped her head lower, breathing the scent of fresh blood in once more and savoring it through her senses. There was a voice, obnoxious and nagging in the back of her mind that screamed at her to let the poor woman's wrist go, lest she snap the bones, but a part of her that was much more feral, animalistic- refused to part with its treat.

One taste.

Just a _little_ taste really, what could it hurt?

The tip of her nose brushed over the pulse point in the older woman's wrist, her lips curled back over pearly white teeth in a silent snarl…

And then Sue's desperate screech of her name had doused her pleasant feeding haze with an ice-cold chill of realization.

Bella dropped the Quileute's hand like it burned her before she had scrambled across the thin paper of the exam table, backing herself into the corner provided by the wall as she trembled. She stared owlishly, her lips parted and eyes blinking in shock at her stepmother who, surprisingly enough considering her newest daughter had just tried to sink her teeth into her skin, had remained standing and seemingly calm.

They were silent.

Staring.

Before the younger girl broke down in a fit of tears, the salty drops washing down her cheeks and leaving thin trails of mascara behind that she had been talked into long ago by Leah and the girls.

Her entire body shook with the force of her cries, both women thankful that there wasn't a wolf on premises, she definitely would have been discovered as Sue rocked her back and forth, smoothing her hair down her back gently. It had all ended with an hour long discussion on the multiple changes Bella had taken note of once she was able to speak without hiccuping, Sue adding in a few differences she had also picked up on here and there. Alongside the physical aspects, her clumsy nature had seemed to diminish, she hardly made a noise with her steps, and her reflexes had improved dramatically. Bella shared her theory with her stepmother on the possibility of trace amounts of venom from the Cold One bite she suffered being responsible for the developmental changes; the Quileute Elder found herself agreeing after a few moments of consideration.

Then offered a solution.

Sue was more than convinced Bella's weight loss, lack of appetite and increased fatigue were all signs of malnourishment. She was missing something from her diet, something important, and after the incident they knew exactly what that particular element was.

Bella needed blood.

It just so happened that Sue had the perfect way to obtain it.

Donated blood that sometimes didn't make the cut, for one reason or another, was disposed of every day. With her Head Nurse credentials, Sue was easily able to make a few of those bags each week simply, disappear.

They devised the plan of keeping the stowaway blood at Charlie's newly renovated house, wedging the small medical grade refrigerator in the darkest corner of the garage before rearranging boxes and crates in front of it. The seal and dry ice would help to dilute the scent, along with the more potent smells of chemicals, oils, and fertilizers. Bella would disappear to the garage for small doses once or twice a week, not needing too much to keep herself healthy while also keeping careful consideration of the changes to her eyes in the case that too much would make the ring of crimson too noticeable.

It was tedious, nerve-wracking, but it got the job done until she could come up with a way to explain her new situation to the Pack, knowing Sue would have her back when it came down to it.

Things were going so well.

Until the day came that a tiny bit of carelessness set off a chain reaction that would lead to her world shattering, completely imploding on itself.

Bella was in a hurry, and she was _starving_. Her stomach roiled and growled angrily, making her arch her eyebrows in surprise as she thought it was quite on par with one of the Pack. Dashing back in the front door after returning from Port Angeles and the community college she was attending there, she tossed her things on the new kitchen island before making a beeline for the garage, her eyes and ears never picking up on the oversized form of Jacob Black where he sat slumped over on their couch, his eyes flicking open and closed after a patrol as he dozed.

She also didn't notice that he lurched to his feet, wary of possible danger with the way his best friend was rushing through the house.

Scooting around boxes, Bella reached her destination, a sigh of relief escaping her throat when the dull shine of stainless steel finally came into view. She swallowed back thickly, the saliva that had built up in her mouth sweeter than usual and heavier on her tongue- it was a new development she _hadn't_ wanted to think about, the possibility that venom now laced her spit when she found herself too thirsty for her own good. Bending down, she tapped in the combination and snatched a small bag from its confines, the blood bright red in the murky packaging, oxygenated and ready for the drinking. Her nose wrinkled for a moment as she popped the tube on the end, though not in revulsion like she might have wished- no, she was plenty ashamed to admit that the taste of the rich liquid had long since stopped tasting badly.

It tasted good… _really_ good.

Life and euphoria, each bag tinted with an individual spark of something she assumed was personal to the one who donated it.

A moan of pure enjoyment tore through her throat as she used the small tube like a bendy straw, taking long pulls of the thick liquid within. Bella swallowed greedily, her eyes fluttering closed in a blissful sensation that was made up of her taste buds humming in approval while the burn of thirst in her throat and hunger in her abdomen subsided into contentment.

"What in the _fuck_."

Jacob's voice had been pitched so deeply, she almost hadn't recognized it, and she pulled off the makeshift sippy cup with a gasp as she spun to look up at him. His frame shook viciously, his lip curling up over sharpened canines with a threatening rumble that reverberated through his chest as he stared at her accusingly.

He wanted to throw up when he looked at her, the one he had once loved so entirely that it physically hurt.

Bella's eyes were wider than he had ever seen them, an alarming burgundy hue marring the beautiful color that normally looked like fine, melted chocolates. Her plump lips were opened in horrified shock as she peered up at him, the usually enticing pink of the soft skin had been stained a gut-wrenching red. Blood filled the small creases in her bottom lip, making it appear as if she had split it, or bit into the tissues. It dimmed the whiteness of her teeth, and a snarl ripped through him when her tongue flicked over them to clean the excess away.

If it hadn't been for the frantic beating of her heart against her ribs, he would've sworn, in that moment, she was _exactly_ what he had been bred to destroy.

"Jacob… _please_ , just-" Bella whispered, holding up a single hand in a plea of understanding.

He didn't.

He couldn't.

Instead, he smacked her slender hand away from him with a force that was not safe for humans, ignoring her sharp cry of pain and the small crack of her bone fracturing in her wrist as he stomped forward. The small door to the metal contraption was no more as he ripped it from its hinges, a thunderous growl echoing through the walls of the garage when he set eyes on what was hidden behind it. Bag upon bag of the sticky, red substance hung in small rows, amounting to at least fifteen. His breath had stuttered within his lungs, his own eyes that were flashing back and forth from brownish black to lupine gold widened in disbelief and his chest heaved with the strain.

They were even categorized by blood types for _fuck's sake!_

Bella knew right then, everything was ruined.

Jacob ran from her without listening to a single word, shoving her away from him so harshly that her body connected with one of the larger crates, no doubt bruising a few ribs in addition to the fractured bones in her wrist. He phased before he even hit the trees, shreds of his clothes and shoes raining down upon the yard like gray and denim snow.

The enraged howl that filled the air shook her to her very core.

Something within her, some sort of self-preservation instinct, had her scrambling to tuck the few bags left away in a travel cooler she pilfered from her father's fishing stock pile before she secured the small plastic container beneath the seat of her truck. Slamming through her bedroom door and throwing certain necessities in duffel-bags was done without coherent thought, her hands had seemingly acted all on their own. Clothes, shoes, a few personal items she couldn't bring herself to leave behind, her laptop and chargers; it was all thrown into bag after bag, her enhanced ability to sprint down the stairs and carry extra weight without falling flat on her ass coming in handy.

Her heart thundered in her chest, battering her ribcage to the point she was actually worried the bone might end up crushed into dust.

 _Or_ it would burst right out of her chest.

Angry, heartbroken howls filled the forest beyond their house, and trembling chills of fear rippled down her spine. At that point in time, she really wasn't so sure that she wouldn't end up in pieces, her limbs trapped between the fangs of her once-protectors.

It had gone much the way of her nightmares.

Words spat and snarled at her, purpling bruises where oversized, heated hands had gripped her forearm much too hard despite her yelps of pain. They were enraged, betrayed, refusing to stop their growling and snapping for even a moment to listen to what she, or even Sue once she had shown up, had to say.

They called her an abomination, a murderer, and Jacob's particular barb of _'no-good-dirty-blood-slut'_ felt like a searing knife that slid between her ribs before puncturing her very heart. It didn't matter that she was still human, that her heart still beat a rhythm, she was at least _part_ of the disgusting leeches they hunted. Even Seth, the lightest-hearted of them all, had stood back away from her; not doling out insults, but not saying a single word in her favor either.

Bella cried, pleaded, then screamed when her broken wrist was crushed in a forceful grip once more.

It was Charlie who called them off, arriving home finally after a frantic call from Sue when she yelled that his daughter was in trouble. He fired off a few rounds, training his gun on them all where they had circled in a hunting Pack around her vulnerable form, demanding that they remove their furry asses from his property at once until he could speak to Bella alone.

Still fresh to the Supernatural world, thanks to his soon-to-be stepson bursting into a ball of fluff when a rouge vampire lurked too near to their home, he had sat across from her in stony silence as she explained everything about her new state of living.

He stared at her once she finished, dark brown eyes meeting ones that had once looked almost exactly like his, though now they were laced with red and sent a shiver down his spine that he wished to deny, more than _anything_ ; no father should be frightened of his own daughter. They sat, they stared, and then he uttered the damning words under his breath that made Sue gasp in shock, that Bella had told herself she would hear, yet still had held onto the slightest hope she would not.

"I think you need to leave."

He might as well have smacked her across the face. The pain must have shown in her gaze, in the way her lip quivered as she fought against the burning tears in her eyes, as her features crumpled into grief and despair.

"I'm only trying to look out for you, Bells-" He rushed to reassure her, closing a hand around hers. "You're no longer safe here, obviously."

Charlie had been right, she knew that now.

But it still hadn't hurt any less.

 **~.-.~**

Santa Carla.

Decent sized as it wasn't quite small town-ish but nowhere near big city-ish, usually very sunny and warm, with a Boardwalk along the beach that provided both day and nightlife entertainment.

Really, she wasn't sure what had made her stop there.

Perhaps that was it.

Being on the move for nearly three months, Bella had not taken the time to really settle in any of the towns she passed. After emptying her bank account and deviously maxing out all the cash advances she could with the Cullen's black card her prick of an ex-boyfriend had left behind (Edward _did_ say it was for emergencies, and being on the run from a vengeful bitch and an overgrown pack of puppies seemed emergency-ish enough); she had simply…drifted. Hugging the coastline for the majority of the time, Bella would pick a hotel in some of the homier towns she crossed, sometimes staying a week or two and working a few odd jobs, but never considering the idea of staying.

Victoria was always around the corner.

Jacob and the boys were always hunting to bring her back home.

Leaving had been devastating initially but, as she expressed to her father with a few blocked calls from phones here and there, it might have been exactly what she needed. While she had adored the family she had found herself a part of back with the Pack and the Clearwater's moving-in, the freedom she experienced was something she hadn't even known she had longed for. Bella took pictures, visited museums and art galleries, swam in the clear blue ocean, let the wind rush through her hair as she crossed the Golden Gate Bridge.

Concentrating her time in Sunny California, she shopped on Rodeo Drive knowing that Alice would be overly jealous that Bella had never spared the time to do so with her- it was a small revenge; for the anger at their abandonment had begun to taint the longing for her once sibling-like friends when the future-seeing pixie still failed to show her face, despite Bella's venom induced hybridity.

Edward didn't want her, fine.

But she damn sure expected them to show their overly perfect faces when she stopped tripping down the stairs and started needing to drink blood so that she could survive.

Catching a wave in the Pacific? _–Check._

Hiking to the Hollywood sign? _–Check._

Making faces and cooing over the koala bears at the San Diego Zoo? _–Check, check!_

It was the famed Boardwalk that had captured Bella's attention upon circling around the map, then checking sights on her phone. Despite all the excitement she had been experiencing, lately it had felt as if she had eyes resting on her back more and more. The feeling was off-putting, and the worry that a certain red-headed bitch was on her tail had made itself constantly known. So, when Santa Carla's Boardwalk sported reviews of providing busy, buzzing, bustling fun at all hours…it was an instant go.

Sunny days, nights filled with so many people she could easily get lost in the crowd.

 _Perfect._

As the sun began to sink lower in the sky, just kissing the horizon while turning it beautiful shades of orange and pink, Bella finally stood from her little pallet in the sand. She had never been more thankful that the venom in her system left her with only a slight sheen to her skin, like she had applied shimmering lotion, instead of full on sparkling like purebred Cold Ones. She gathered her tote, making conscious note to cradle her travel tumbler in her hand carefully.

The last thing she needed was someone in the crowd to jostle her elbow and tip the contents. How she would explain the viscous, crimson liquid that had been cut with a bit of bourbon, she had no clue.

"Trashcan punch…" Bella muttered, padding up the sandy stairs to the Boardwalk.

Her white shorts fit firmly over the span of her ass, covering up her bikini bottoms that she ended up not needing after spending the day under an umbrella reading and napping. A mint green crochet cover-up layered over her bikini top that was also white, the flowery patterns disguising her skin to the point she felt comfortable walking around. Black sunglasses balanced on the bridge of her nose, hiding her eyes from the sun, and silver gladiators wrapped around her feet.

She blended well with the crowd, the mass of people ranging in styles from the skimpy and slutty, the retro and vintage, to the gothic and hardcore. Booth upon booth lined the walk; kiosks full of clothes to buy, souvenirs to browse through, or piercings and tattoos to be had. Shops also lined the walk, providing everything from food and entertainment to all the items one could need on their vacation. The carnival was massive, rides of all kinds lighting up as darkness prevailed, the sun setting and the stars awakening. An electric guitar cut through the air, playing the opening bars to a song as a band began to warm up for the nightly concert, and a smile of contentment bloomed over Bella's face.

Peace and easygoing happiness poured through her.

Santa Carla, for one reason or another, felt like home.

"Give it back!"

The shrill cry broke through her musing thoughts, and Bella found herself freezing in place, the person behind her giving an indignant huff and glare as they nearly collided. She couldn't explain what made her halt so quickly and her eyes flicked back and forth through the crowd, searching for the source of the childlike voice of what she was sure was a little boy. Bella turned on her heel, glancing toward the food carts, and clenched her fingers around the strap of her tote when her eyes landed on a disheartening scene.

A little boy stood there caught in a circle of shirtless, obviously inebriated surfers that she guessed ranged in age from their late teens to early twenties. Each one had muscles and a tan, but that didn't stop her from stepping forward, her eyes glued to the child they bullied. He stood about twelve inches or so below her five-foot-five height, his light brown hair long enough to brush back and forth over his shoulders as he whipped his head from side to side. He was clothed in a strange jacket for such an age, it looked to be a civil war replica, and a band t-shirt was layered underneath.

"What's the matter brat?" A surfer taunted, his hair a nose-wrinkling hue of lime green and teal. "Can't you reach?"

Bella growled lowly, missing the way the small boy's head snapped toward her as she glared at the older boy, lip curling back over her teeth as she envisioned ripping his arm from the socket. He gripped a spool of cotton candy in his hand, waving it back and forth just out of the boy's reach, deaf to his pleas to return the treat after he had spent his money on it. When his friend, another surfer with black and red hair, reached forward to snag nearly half of the spun sugar to stuff in his gaping mouth and the little boy's lip trembled, Bella snapped.

"Hey, asshole!" Bella snapped, crossing the distance between them quick enough it really wasn't humanly possible.

It didn't go unnoticed by a curious set of brown eyes.

They spun in slight surprise, unused to someone speaking up against them, even if they were picking on small children. Surf Nazi's were left alone, the locals not wanting to deal with them hazing their shops and the tourists steering clear of what appeared to be a gang. The only ones who didn't put up with their bullshit had yet to show their faces, despite the fact that they were targeting one of their own. Even through their macho facades, they knew that was the only reason they were getting away with their activity.

"Well, well, well. How's it goin' sexy?" Bella's nose wrinkled in disgust, the one with lime green hair ignored it. "Name's Andre, what can I do for ya?"

She had reached their circle, though most had moved to stand behind their leaders upon her approach. Without even thinking about it, Bella reached forward and gently gripped the child's arm, pulling him to stand behind her before curling her arm and anchoring him to her back. She shivered lightly as he pressed close to her and tucked his fingers through the woven gaps in her cover-up, before he peeked carefully around her side. Such close contact with another human being hadn't been something she had shared in months.

"Give him back the cotton candy." Bella demanded, dropping her tote at the boy's feet and pressing her fist to her hip.

She kept her eyes on her opponents, though her ears picked up the sound of the child shuffling the bag between his legs for safe keeping. Her lips twitched, a small smile begging to peek through.

"Tell ya what…" Andre started, invading her personal space as he stepped closer and attempted to purr seductively. "I'll give the kid his candy, hell I'll even get him another, as long as you let me show ya around. Ain't seen ya here before, gotta be new."

Her gut clenched, the mere idea of accompanying the obviously high and intoxicated douchebag literally making her feel sick to her stomach.

"Go to hell." Bella spat, her lip curling back over her teeth in a threatening manner as her eyes blazed, the red no doubt standing out a little brighter behind the lenses of her sunglasses.

He frowned quickly, a darkness flickering in his eyes, before he smoothed it over with a patronizing laugh. "Oh c'mon sugar, I can show ya a good time."

She couldn't help it.

Bella laughed.

One hand lifting to cover her lips as the giggles peeled forth and tinkled on the air, she bent forward slightly at the waist, her hand still firm on the boy's back to keep him in place. She shook her head, dabbing under her eyes as they moistened with the level of her humor. It cut off abruptly though when a sweaty hand closed around her wrist in a harsh, angry grip, jerking her forward in her lack of concentration. A hiss left her lips, not one of pain like they assumed, but one of danger. If he didn't take his hands off of her immediately, there was a high chance she would tear his throat out with her bare hands. Her head snapped back, taking in the angry sneer on the surfer's face as he began to twist her arm, putting pressure on the joint that would have hurt any regular girl.

"Bitch, you don't know who ya messin' with-" Andre snapped, embarrassment over her dismissal fueling his fury.

"Get your hands, _off_ of me." Bella murmured, her voice low and predatory, enunciating each word slowly, as if she was speaking to a toddler.

He leered at her evilly, opening his mouth to answer. "I'll put my hands wherever-"

A loud smack echoed in the air around them and Bella's hand stung lightly with the aftershock. Before he could even react, she had whipped off the glasses that had hidden her strangely colored eyes, enjoying the way his hand faltered and fell to his side once he gazed at them even though he had just been aiming to hit her back.

" _Walk away._ "

The tone of her voice had changed again, turned sultry and smooth, hypnotizing really.

She wasn't sure when the new sound had come about, and she was still learning its limitations, but the ability to coerce and persuade those to do her bidding came in handy more than once. While she wanted nothing more than to rip the surfer's limbs from his body, she knew that she couldn't. Sneaking into hospitals and lifting blood bags without being caught was one thing, actually tearing into the throat of a human being was different, even if it was a total piece of shit like the ones in front of her.

Besides, she didn't have a way to clean up after herself, and the little boy was still clutching to her hips.

Andre turned without another word, blinking dazedly as he called his buddies to join him. A few gave her questioning glances, but most were either too drink, high, or a mix of each to really give a shit. Bella watched them walk away, keeping her eyes locked on their retreating forms until she could no longer see them and she heard the small child she had protected shifting anxiously at her feet. She turned to him them, a smile lifting her lips as her eyes met warm brown ones, blinking to make sure that the redness had faded back into place within the outline of her iris.

He smiled back hesitantly, unsure of this new girl who he knew, as a half-vampire, was something _more_ than she seemed. He might not be allowed to stay up when his brothers had their meetings, but he wasn't oblivious to the supernatural. He did sip on blood from time to time, after all.

Bella was quiet for a moment, before she held out her hand in welcome and tilted her head toward the food carts. "So…want to get some more cotton candy?"

He nodded eagerly, reaching up to lace his fingers through hers without a care in the world as he hoisted her (slightly heavy) bag to his shoulders, smiling in manly pride as she complimented him for being such a strong gentleman. He didn't know what she was, but there was a strange feeling in his chest; like she belonged, like safety and protection, like his brothers and the cave. It was something he had never felt before, and he wasn't keen to give it up yet.

 **~.-.~**

His name was Laddie.

It was a peculiar name, something she had never heard before, but endearing all the same. He was ten years-old despite being quite small for his age, his favorite part of the carnival were the roller coasters, and he loved cotton candy…as well as many other sugary treats, she found. Laddie apparently had four brothers who roamed the Boardwalk on bikes (the types with motors, she assumed), and a sort-of sister that they'd taken in named Star that obviously didn't take her job of babysitting him very seriously.

"S'okay though, I don't really like her anyways." He shrugged cutely, leaning into Bella's side as he chomped on the fluffy pink candy. "She never takes me on the rides, and she always leaves me behind to go do other stuff."

Bella frowned, her blood running a little hot as he rambled on.

"Does that happen often Laddie?" She asked quietly, sifting her fingers through the wisps of hair on his forehead to push them away. "The older boys bully you when she leaves and your brothers aren't around?"

The child bit down on his lip, his shoulders slumping a little in dejection. "I try to stand up to them like she says I should, honest!"

"Oh honey," Bella soothed, curling an arm around his shoulders. "Don't you worry about it."

They sat on the picnic tables for a while longer, an easy comradery flowing as he asked her questions and she asked about his favorite places to go on the Boardwalk.

She told him her name, that she was turning twenty in a few weeks (something that made his eyes fly open laughably wide), and eased the reason for her stay in Santa Carla by saying that she was traveling for a while before deciding what to do next. She told him that she liked to cook, while he informed her that he liked to draw. He told her how he couldn't wait to be old enough for his brothers to get him a bike of his own to ride, and she told him how she had once rode one, only to make a complete fool of herself and end up with a gash in her forehead.

It was only the sound of rumbling engines and faint yelling that either looked up from their little bubble of sugary treats and conversation.

"That's them!" Laddie yelled excitedly, jumping up from his seat.

Bella caught him with a laugh as he almost fell over, his legs tangled up between the seat and the tabletop. He whined about not being able to see over the crowd so she hoisted him up on her hip without another thought, grabbing her tote and tossing their trash before making her way toward the noise. The engines cut off but the deep voice that called out the little boy's name did not. She hurried her footsteps, the obvious sound of concern spurring her to move faster than before.

"Laddie!"

"Dwayne!" Laddie yelled out, waving his free arm that wasn't hooked around Bella's shoulder. "Over here!"

Two imposing figures seemed to appear out of thin air, a swirl of black trench-coat and cigarette smoke nearly making Bella stumble back in surprise.

She looked up into wild brown eyes, the color dark enough to border on black and match the long locks of raven colored hair that reached down over his shoulders. He had to be around twenty-one, perhaps twenty-two, and stood at least a foot taller than her. Dressed out in black pants and biker boots, he wore only a leather jacket on top, an embroidered jaguar or leopard dawning the right sleeve. His chest was bare underneath, showing off an impressive expanse of smooth, bronze skin that had a faint smattering of hair across it. A tribal necklace hung around his neck, tiny trinkets resting on his sternum, and a fanged earring hung from his left ear. Insanely handsome is what he was and she swallowed thickly, adverting her eyes to his face in an attempt to prevent any blushing.

Suddenly, her possible blush wasn't the issue any longer.

He was looking at her like he wanted to rip her head off for touching the boy. She couldn't fight the faint tremor that worked its way down her spine.

A throat clearing drew her attention and she broke her gaze with the mysterious brunette to seek it out, though if she remembered correctly, Laddie had called him Dwayne. Bella glanced to the right only to freeze in surprise. Glacial blue eyes peered back at her, the gaze just as cold and calculating. It made her want to offer all her secrets and yet draw up her defenses at the same time.

His hair was platinum blonde, though dyed or natural she was unsure, and styled in a throwback eighties-type mullet that was longer on top and at the back than on the sides. From what she could tell, he was dressed in all black, though the long length of his black trench-coat hindered most of her sight. His hands were covered in black leather gloves, a cigarette balanced on his lips, while another rested behind the ear that sported the same fanged earring the other was wearing. He watched her carefully, eyeing the way Laddie rested comfortably against her hip before returning back to her gaze, his own narrowing slightly as he peered into her eyes.

It felt as if he was looking into her very soul.

And the unsettling feeling he could see what most humans could not, left her anxious and shifting on the balls of her feet.

"Laddie," He greeted in a slow drawl, eyes flicking to the boy and back to her again. "We were worried about you. Who's your friend?"

The boy grinned proudly up at him, white teeth flashing in the carnival lights. "Her name's Bella, and I want to keep her."

Her eyes flew wide in astonishment, her eyebrows arching nearly into her hairline as she whipped her head away from the intimidating blonde to look at the boy in her arms. He looked ecstatic, one hand swinging carelessly at his side while the other wrapped around and played with locks of her hair. She didn't miss the sharp inhale from one of the pair, nor did she miss the low rumble of a chest that was distinctly something…other.

" _Laddie!_ " Dwayne growled, lurching toward them a step.

Bella immediately retreated, ignoring the outraged look in the brunette's eyes as she looked him over from head to toe, her grip tightening on the boy in her arms protectively. She felt cornered and strange, the odd tug that she had noticed since her arrival had become nearly uncomfortable since the two showed their faces, weighing heavily in her chest. It didn't lead to them necessarily, but there was a sense of familiarity she couldn't put her finger on, couldn't understand, and it made her a bit jittery with nerves and all too reluctant to hand the previously bullied boy over.

He had said they were brothers, but these two looked _nothing_ like him.

"Are these your brothers, Laddie?" She murmured quietly, dipping her head toward him.

Vigorous nodding and a blinding smile were her conformation as he lifted a hand to point, his finger moving first from the blonde who watched her curiously, to the brunette who stood tense but was now looking at her with a hint of curiosity.

"That's David, he's the oldest. And that's Dwayne, he takes care of me lots!"

Laddie squirmed slightly in her hold, reaching out for the brunette who came toward them again with a grin twitching at his lips. Bella forced herself to hold still this time, he had confirmed that these two were his brothers and despite the odd feelings she was getting, there was nothing screaming at her to take the boy and run.

She couldn't anyway, the last thing she needed was being booked for kidnapping. Some Chief of Police's daughter she'd be. Still, she observed carefully as the older boy took him from her arms, a look of gratitude flashing in his eyes that put her nerves at ease, and she ruffled the ten year-old's hair affectionately while he pouted.

"Can we keep her David?" He started again, blatantly ignoring Dwayne's protests to hush. "She feels right!"

Bella furrowed her brows, the wording catching her off guard again.

There was something about the way that he said them, something about the way he asked to keep her, that he said she felt right. She found herself eyeing them each carefully, looking for signs of the supernatural she knew, but she wasn't all that well-versed in things that weren't Cold One, or Shape-Shifter, so it wasn't much help. Her eyes met the icy blues across from her again, a look of recognition flicking across them that made her tilt her head in question, only to get a faint smirk in return.

"Be that as it may…" He began, tapping ash from his cigarette.

"Dude!"

David was cut off by the loud exclamation of the last remaining part of his coven, their wild blonde locks popping up into view behind the girl who had just apparently walked her way into all of their lives. He was more than aware of the sense of familiarity and cohesiveness she projected. He had already experienced it multiple times when he added each of the boys to their little group, though this was a bit different considering it was a female that they were talking about. Not only a girl, one that was meant to be Pack. Their giddy laughter took over the group as the last two flung themselves into their circle of greetings and he waited with an amused smirk twitching at his lips for the both of them to recognize the source of the itchy pull that had been keeping them restless as of late.

"Where ya been, little man?"

The shorter of two blondes chuckled as he sauntered up to them, one hand reaching out to ruffle Laddie's hair as he smirked teasingly until his hand was smacked away by Laddie through their laughter. The second one had bracelets lining his wrists that jangled together, catching Bella's attention for a moment when she noticed him reaching for the obvious joint that was stashed behind his ear. She took them both in, noticing how easily they moved together and yet how completely different they were.

While both shared in the apparent love for keeping their hair cut long, one had exceedingly curly strands and the other seemed to keep his wild and free, just as untamed as he appeared to be. The tallest was dressed in whites and blacks, the only addition of color was in the accessories that covered his wrists and were chained to his jacket. Bella's eyes caught on the curly-haired blonde's jacket, drifting over the numerous patches and pins that looked as if they had been attached by hand, all depicting different concerts, places traveled, things done. The white wifebeater he wore was pulled tight across his chest and his jeans hung low on his hips, leaving around three or four inches of toned and muscled abdominals on display.

It made Bella swallow, hunger that she couldn't explain clawed at her throat.

Black leather chaps covered the denim wrapped around his legs before they tucked into a pair of biker boots. Her eyes flickered over to his companion, taking in the white material that encased his legs, slightly scuffed and dirty. They were skintight and left nothing to the imagination, putting him completely on display as Bella's eyes raked him from head to toe, much like the black mesh shirt he sported that gave off teasing glimpses of skin that was only a few hues warmer than her own. They each possessed earrings hanging from the same ear as Dwayne and David, similar fangs of some sort. It should've been a warning, but she completely missed it, too drawn in by the vibes that were rolling off of the quartet now that they were all crowded around Laddie and questioning him.

"Yeah, we've been looking all over for ya bud. What hap-" The taller blonde trailed off, sucking in a deep breath and freezing in place. "...what smells so fucking _good?_ "

Her breath caught in her throat, a sharp gasp of air as her eyes widened.

Capturing their full attention.


End file.
